Cross Jurisdictions
by Little-Firestar84
Summary: Stella and Mac's protegee, Ivy, are sent to L.A. to help Matt Glaser and his squad to capture a serial killer who is doing victims both in NY and in L.A. For Ivy Carter, it will be the moment to reflect about her relationship with Don... DonOc.
1. callin' an old friend

CSI:NY and CSI are registerered trademarks. I don't own them. Just Ivy Carter :)

_**1.**__**Callin' an old friend **_

Ivy Carter was in her bed, in her attic, reflecting not only on her present, but on her past and future, too. It was a thing she was doing a lot, during the last few months. But this time, she wasn't doing it all alone, she was with someone else, someone very important for her. She was with Don Flack.

_**I can't do this again. I can't pass through this again...**_

"Honey, you all right?" he asked her, seeing Ivy was already – or maybe still – awake.

"Oh? No, it' nothing. It's just... I'm a bit stressed. The fact is...today Caruso's trial will begin. And I'm still... I'm steel felling... you know what I mean, don't you?"

The Caruso case was the one that put them seriously together. It was an hard case, about 5 murdered vics (one of which was just a child), kidnapping and illegal adoptions. She was still upset. But this case wasn't the only thing to make her feel this way. He, Don, was the other one. Him and her dead husband, Noah Newman.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Sometimes I still feel like..."

He didn't end the sentence, as she previously did. It wasn't necessary. They both knew how they felt about these sort of cases. She looked deeply in his blue eyes, while he smiled at her, who was caressing his face... his young, beautiful face... she felt under her fingers the scars left by the explosion. She didn't know too much about what happened that time, he didn't like to speak about it. She just knew what Mac and the others told her, that it was an hard period for all the lab, with what happened to Danny, Stella, Aiden ... and him. He didn't speak too much, and she didn't ask, like he did. But inside herself, Ivy wasn't able to stop to ask herself a simple but still terrible question: _What if it happened again?_

"listen – she said waking up and looking for her clothes around not only the room, but the entire apartment, _her apartment _– I have to go, my shift will begin in less than one hour, and it means I'm late... where the hell is my shirt?"

He left the old fashioned bed, wearing a pair of boxers and a T-shirt, and went in the entry of the small attic. "If you mean the grey one, the one you were wearing last evening when we go out... I think we left it here, near the sofa..." he said taking it from the ground.

"You know, it was exactly what I needed. Thanks a lot – smiling, she gave him a kiss in regard and took the pearl grey shirt from Don's hands – I was thinking… if I'm not wrong it's your free day, so, if you want to stay a little bit more… you already have the keys and know how close. " he came closer and closer, and embracing her he started to kiss her on the neck. "I'd prefer if it's you to stay a little bit more here… you know, a man not easy to satisfy and just a "thanks" and a small kiss are not a big reward for the finding of your favourite shirt…"

_**Crime lab. 11 o'clock**_

Ivy was sitting at her desk, finishing the reports about some cases and controlling evidences and results of some tests when Linsday approached her, and with a smile, she gave at the girl from Chicago some documents. The two were working on the same cases; the lab was having an hard times, because it was only march but it was as hot as never before and it was like the people was getting crazy all around the city… every year, with the arrive of the sultriness there was an escalation of crimes and everybody was working on more cases.

"If you want to know, I've this smile because I'm sure I found the solution for the Grass case"

"Glad you did. I was starting to thing it was going to became an other cold case. – she red the sheets Montana gave her – you were right from the beginning. I owe you my excuse"

"Are you crazy? It's not necessary. And then, I know your head is somewhere else with a certain blue eyed detective"

"You really do? I thought it was still a secret… I mean, we don't act like a couple at work and nobody… except maybe Mac who ever knows everything… nobody knows!"

"Ivy, first, we'got eyes, we all see the "love signals " between you two… you know, that sort of things people in love doesn't do on purpose but that does… second…"

" there's a second point?"

"Danny is Don's best friend and his tongue is a bit too long. By the way… Mac need you in his office."

"Mac, I heard you need me?"

"Come in, there's someone at the phone for you – she sat near Mac's desk and listened at the phone, wondering who could be – she is here with me, you can speak"

_**Morning sunshine, you all right?**_

Ivy recognised immediately who was speaking with her at the phone… it was a voice she knew very well, he was a friend from the old times in L.A. .

"Matthew Glaser… what makes you call us? Problems?"

_**Steve says hi. He is sorry but wasn't able to call himself. He asked me to do it. We need you and someone else from N.Y. here… we've got a cross-jurisdiction case…**_

"What are we exactly talking about?" Ivy asked to both Matt and Mac.

"It came out that Det. Glaser and me are investigating on cases very similar. Almost 4 serial murders here in N.Y. …"

_**And 4 identical crimes here in L.A., in less than 2 weeks. When I found the similarities, I thought it was a good thing call you for help…**_

"You two think the murderer left N.Y. for L.A.?"

"Yeah, but it's not he only problem. We fear he, or she, or them, could make other vics along the way."

"So boss, what do we do?"

"You and Stella will take the very first plane to L.A.. I'd come by myself, but I don't want to leave the lab. I don't fell comfortable with this idea in these days. "

"it seems you'll have to call me "boss" in the next few days, Ivy – Stella said entering the spartan room – Mac told me. Ivy, go home and pack some of your things… we're going to leave"

When she entered in her apartment, she saw he was still by her.

"It seems you made yourself at home."

"Can't you stay without me? You just leave…"

"Sorry to delude your expectations, but I'm not here for you. I must take a few things. Stella and I are going to L.A.."


	2. Don:Interlude

CSI:NY and CSI are trademarks. Don't own them.

_**2. INTERLUDE**_

"Don, man, you look… let me say it… desperate…"

Don was at his desk, with hands crossed on his head, lost in his thoughts. He even didn't notice Danny, when the CSI went by him for to speak about a case they were working on.

"Sorry Danny, I was just.. thinking. Now you have all my attention."

"Don, listen… since we have to go on the same crime scene… why don't we take the same car for a time? I've the impression you need to speak to someone"

(Later, on the road for the crime scene.)

"Let me guess: you were and still are thinking to a certain girl from the CSI unit, let me think… brownish, black eyed, 33, a girl you sure consider intelligent, smart and cute, called… let me guess… Ivy Carter?" Don was driving to the crime scene, he didn't stop to look at streets, but, hearing what Danny was telling him, he smiled a little at him, not only a friend, but, for a person like himself, with only sisters, the older brother he didn't have.

"By your words it seems it's you the one in love with her. Sorry Danny, but she is taken."

"Don't you worry, she is not my kind of girl. I usually prefer someone… you know, someone younger and easier."

"It's my girlfriend you are speaking about! She is not so serious and boring as she could appear to someone who doesn't know her, and she is as old as you."

"Relax don, I was just joking. You know I like her. Not in the way you like her, logically, but you know… - Danny stopped for few instants when they left the car to join Linsday on the crime scene - Listen Don, I was serious. You don't look good. When you are without her, you look… desperate it's the only word I can think about. And she only left few hours ago!"

"It's.. you know, things with her have never been easy. With her past, what happened to me… with the bomb, I mean… I don't know. You see, it's no more mere flirting or just attraction…"

"It's love! Man, you love her! Did you tell ivy how you feel?"

"You know,it's strange, but… truly speaking, I realised I loved her something like 5 seconds after I met her… I can't forget the day Mac introduce each other, at the park."

"Yeah, very romantic… central park in the early morning, birds, butterflies, flowers, kids… and the best of all, a cadaver. I already see you telling your children how you met their mother."

"Danny, I'm serious. The last week I went to a jewellery with Mac and bought her an engagement ring."

"I don't know what I'm more furious about: for the fact that you bought the ring with Mac and not with me, or because you proposed to her without telling me everything."

"First: I asked Mac's help because he knows her and he already made the proposal, differently from you. Second, I didn't proposed to her. I wanted, but I didn't. I wasn't able to find the right moment, place, situation, words, or maybe it was just lack of courage."

"And what the hell are you expecting?"

"When you'll ask Linsday out, I'll ask my girlfriend to marry me" Don was joking, his smile back.

"She is not… "

"Sure, listen, I already know the rigmarole, it's an old story. I tried to tell the same, me too."

"In fact it's about you and your girlfriend we were speaking about, not about me and my non-existent relationship with _her_"

"Yeah, well, you are right . I'm sorry, it's just a way to play down. The fact is…"

"What?"

" what if she would stay in L.A… now that she is returning to her old life?"


	3. back to basics

_**3.back to basics **_

_**At the LAX… **_

A brownish man between 30 and 40 hugged Ivy as he saw her, and gave at the girl a quick "familiar" kiss under Stella's surprised eyes, who, with her mouth open, was a little in shock.

"I didn't know you make friend with people so easily…- Stella told her joking. – isn't our Don jealous?"

"Stella, he is my former partner, det. Matthew Glaser. – Ivy explained to her "boss", knowing she wasn't so serious as she seemed – Matt, she is Stella Bonasera. Detective Taylor is sorry, but was full of work and couldn't make it. He says "hi" to you, Steve and Ann"

Stella and Matt shook hands and still joking the Greek-Italian detective again asked her if Don was jealous or not of all her "past friends".

"Well, surely not of him… I mean, I worked with him for more or less 8 years, he is something like a "big brother"… and then he is married."

"Well, not exactly. Truly speaking, I _**was **_married. Laura and I are getting divorced. She left me for her plastic surgeon. "

"Matt, I'm sorry but weren't we supposed to speak about something else?"

"Sorry, you are right, I was forgetting the most important thing.."

"I hope he means the case…" Stella said smiling.

"I mean who's Don! I never heard a word about him from you! – Ivy looked at him with a face that was telling everything – c'mon, I'm your best friend, I'm supposed to know such things!"

"I wonder why your wife left you"

"C'mon, Ivy, you know how Laura loves gossip… she just infected me!"

"Yeah, sure, whatever…" she said with an annoyed expression.

He smiled at her like only a true friend can. "Since you are not in the right mood, I think we have to go now… the L.P.D. is expecting only us."

_**L.P.D.**_

Matt and Ivy entered in the hall of the district followed by Stella. At the reception, a woman in her 40s welcomed them and greeted the 33 years old CSI like she already knew her.

"Glad to have you back, Carter, also if it's for a such brief time. Captain Kramer is in her office expecting you… detective Larson is already here." She gave them their passes and announced the arrive of the 3 CSIs to Kramer.

"How the hell is Larson working on _**our **_case? Isn't he supposed to go to catch the toxics?" Ivy asked his former team-mate.

"He is working at the homicide unit, now."

"I don't know why, but I've the impression you don't like this Larson guy at all"

"Ex" Matt explained to Stella

"I dated him twice, you can't seriously say he is an "ex"!"

"Yeah, sure, whatever!" he answered her joking: it was his turn. He entered in the office without knocking at the door. At the black desk, a blonde middle age woman.

"Glad you finally made it, Glaser. Carter, Bonasera, I'm sorry to have you here in a such horrible situation… but please, make yourselves at home."

The 2 New Yorkers sat around Kramer's desk and gave her a white envelop, with "OPEN" written on capital letters : the reports about the cases N.Y. was investigating on.

"It's all we have… more or less nothing. We don't know too much about our vics, the crime in itself or the murder; the cases, as you know, are still open, and since after the initial escalation we didn't hear of other similar cases in N.Y., we hoped he was in jail for maybe something else or, better, dead. But Mac was sure we weren't so lucky."

"I heard he gave a red code. Unfortunately, federals don't love us and so they kept the news for themselves for too much time. Now we could have less vics" Captain Kramer told them.

"Who knows how many other were killed along his way to L.A…."Ivy told them, sad. She knew Kramer was right, that federals didn't love local units. Her husband and his boss, Gerard, weren't different.

"We'll find when we'll catch him." Larson said entering the conversation. Detective Daniel Larson was something like 35/40, he wasn't so tall, brownish, with eyes of the same colour with glasses. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Stella unconsciously thought to Don and how different they were, about the fact that him, at work, wasn't allowed to dress in such a way. The "casual way" was what she and Ivy liked., but, while for Stella was a mere matter of taste, for Ivy was, probably, the reflection oh her own social class: Stella was informed by Mac about where Ivy was born, who her parents were and what her dad did to her, too. She didn't know too much more about Ivy's past, she didn't like to speak about it and Stella didn't matter.

_When she will be ready, she will tell me everything she wont. _

"I think detective Larson is right – Stella said exiting from her inner thoughts – the violence and the strength suggest us the killer is a man."

" What if we had more than one murder?" Kramer asked them.

"The evidences suggest in involved only one person, and it can't be emulation, because we kept all the particulars for ourselves. At least, for our cases. What about yours?"

"We aren't stupid, also if we are not in the top 3." Larson was referring to the list of the 3 most important and good crime lab in the country: without counting Quantico, owned by the F.B.I., the N.Y.

Crime Lab was the third one, after Vegas and Miami.

"If you noticed the similarities – Stella said trying to calm him down – believe me, you're good enough to be on the top list."

"Danny, please, Stella didn't mean you all did something on purpose. Sometimes, things happen also if you don't want to. She was just asking." Stella immediately understood Ivy was defending not only her, but her former team mates, too.

"Yeah, well, nothing happened. We took everything for ourselves."

"We know people likes to know if there's a killer around here – Matt told them giving them the reports of their cases – but we feared an hysteria attack, so we kept our mouth closed."

"In L.A. – Kramer started – we've BART ALLEN, athlete, 28, killed February the 6th at home, 25,16th street. CAROL DENVERS, 31, air stewardess, Pasadena Airport, the 26th. Both whites. Then SHAN CHI, male, Chinese origins, 32. he worked in a gym in Santa Monica and he was killed there on march, 7th. And the last one… 2 days ago… only a week after the last homicide… MYSTY KNIGHT, journalist, 38, killed somewhere near Sunset Boulevard." Larson finished to explain what they already knew about their vics.

"In N.Y. – Stella began – instead, we have JACK MONROE, 33, taxi driver. Found in his car in Elmet Street on November, 9th. On November, 25th we have JASON TOD, a small criminal, workless, 29 years old, killed at home, in Queens. Then JAMES MADROX, private detective, killed in Central park on December, 12th. Our last vics was DONNA TROY, 25, photographer. Killed in a decadent building in Arthur Road on December, 28th. All our vics were whites." Stella finished to speak, and asked herself why Ivy didn't say a single word.

"Different people killed in different days. If it wasn't for his modus operandi, it could seem there wasn't a connection between our cases." Larson explained looking again at all the photos.

"He gives them a dose of tranquillizer. Maybe Lexotan, but we aren't sure yet. – Matt woke up from his chair and started to walk along the room, probably to try to increase his concentration – then he kills them with a single stab, directly at the heart. He puts them _**this**_ position – he said indicating a photo – then he gives them other 7 stabs. A total of 8 wounds in each case."

"Then, he puts a brunch of white roses on their chest… " Stella finished Matt's explanation, but she knew it wasn't over at all.

"… and, at the end, he makes a cross on their forehead with their blood. – Matt told them finally finishing the description of the modus operandi of their "un.sub.", like the specialists of the BAU called people like their killer- it's one of the particular no one knows but us."

" I suggest to give an other look at all the reports. Maybe we'll find something important. "

"Stella's right. But…I was wondering… maybe, if there's no connections between the vics, maybe it can exist between the places he chooses. What about it?" Ivy was thinking to something a former colleague told her months before. Kat Edison told her that her boyfriend was investigating on a sniper, and that it come out that the connection wasn't between the vics, but the places he chose as "base".

"As I told you before – Larson underlined again; Ivy was becoming a bit sick of him and his attitude – we aren't stupid. we already controlled. No connections.

"All the serial killers have a connection. Let's find it. I don't wonna ear the press say we aren't able to put a criminal in jail. And, over all, I don't wonna other vics. Neither here or somewhere else. Clear? " Kramer was becoming darker and darker in face. She was very worried. Understanding, they all left her office simply nodded, without saying a single word.


	4. What I've done?

_**4. what I've done?**_

Glaser, Stella, Larson and Ivy were riding the reports in hope to find something, maybe the ultimate solution. Each district was reading the reports from the other one, 2 pro agent.

"There's a photo from the Knight case – Stella said looking deeply at one of "her" photos – you see, there's soil on her clothes, but I can't find the analysis. Do you know where they can be?"

"Let me see… well, she was killed outside, in a park, maybe someone – Matt said looking at Larson, who owned the case – thought it wasn't important."

"Yeah, but, look here at what I found – Ivy said them showing them other photos, from an other case – on the Allen case . give a look at him and his house. I beat he was an obsessive convulsive cleaner. But there's something on his clothes. Traces that can belong only to our killer."

"Let me see… yeah – Matt said looking again and again at the photos – you're probably right on 99. I can't imagine how could someone not notice something like that." _Well, truly, I've got a certain idea. Maybe he didn't notice it because he is a stupid._

He was still thinking to Larson when he started to go to search something through the Denvers' evidences, his clothes.

"Matt, did you found something?" Stella asked him.

"I think I have a theory. – he show them the Danvers' envelope in his right hand – the assassinations are nearer and nearer, look at last two. He is becoming desperate, because he needs to kill. He tries to stay calm, to plan everything… but he can't. and he is starting to do some mistakes. – he took the Chi file, too, and wore a pair of gloves, giving one to both Stella and Ivy – let's see his clothes… do you see the traces, too? "

"Here there is his mistake" Stella said taking a sample.

"If we're lucky enough, - Ivy told them - it will tell us where he is, or where he works. And maybe it will clear our minds about the connections. Because right here right now, we haven't found one yet."

"Like or boss tells us, coincidences don't exist, because everything is connected"

"So let's find our connection, ladies."

"I see Larson _**finally**_ decided to leave us for do something, maybe better that what he did until now."

When she entered in the lab few hours after her exit, Ivy immediately noticed the lack of her former colleague… and for her it wasn't a problem. True, she hadn't a good opinion of him. He was just a stupid and hypocrite jerk. She immediately thought to Don: at the beginning, she thought the same about him, too. But with Daniel was different. It was like he was just… empty. She tried, years ago, to give him a chance, but it didn't work. He was a nothing without interest. Except for women, one of the reasons she stopped to go out with him after their second date.

_It's strange how much I think about Don. I'm starting to think Danny and Linsday are right, that I'm really in love with him… in deep love. _

"He is doing is "investigative work", as he calls it. So I assume he is doing less than zero." Matt Glaser didn't have a good opinion about Larson, too, but it must be said that his own reasons were different from Ivy's ones: he just hated him because he went out with her. Matt wasn't in love with Ivy, but he loved her, like a brother can love a sister. She was like a member of his family. A younger one. He knew her from almost 10 years, from the day she arrived in L.A. He wasn't able to understand why a girl like her could only think to go out… or even sleep… with a guy like Larson.

Stella interrupted his thought when she said that "I can't imagine how he can give them the Lexotan"

"Stella's right. You can't just mix it with water, because it has a taste, I know it by myself. And difficulty they took something from someone they didn't know."

"But this can be our connection, Ivy. Maybe our vics knew the killer."

"I don't think so, Glaser. This persons had nothing in common. Different works, sexes, social classes, places of born, routines. I found impossible to believe that, in some point of their existences, they made contact with the very same person. I don't think they had friends in common, too."

"So miss Bonasera, tell me where's the connection, in your opinion."

"Ehi Matt, have you just a minute for me? Ivy, glad to see you again. " a woman of ivy age, with black hair and eyes, entered in the room where they were working. Her name was Kat Eddison, she was Ivy's co-worker for something like an year and an half, the two girls were good friends, also because they shared a similar story: Kat's first husband was an FBI agent who died years before on duty, like Ivy's husband. "I've got some news for you. These are the results you all were expecting. What you found in the soil are traces of pollen of a rare Japanese plant. "

"Good, now we can control by the florists. Probably, who sell it remembers who bought it…"

"It's not necessary, Stella – Matt told her – because it' not so rare… it's more. Only a botanical garden has it..."

" …the Japanese Garden at the Huntington Library & Botanical Garden, in Pasadena. " it was like Ivy was completing Matt's sentences. _They definitely work very well, together, it's like there's a sort of chemistry between them… _Stella thought looking at them. In the same instant, something came in her mind.

"The garden… the garden is the connection between the cases! I saw a ticket between the evidences of one of your cases…"

"Let me see… - Matt told them controlling some data – here it is… it was near Miss Knight's body…."

"Miss Knight is helping us a lot, it seems. - Ivy told them with the smile she used to have when she felt she was near a solution – so probably this the connection for the cases from L.A., but where's the one for our cases from N.Y.?"

"I think I just found it…have you got a computer with internet access? I want to control one thing…"

"Sure you found the solution, Stella?" Matt told her showing her the pc. She went immediately to Google, keying "JAPANESE+ RARE+ EXHIBIT+ N.Y. + 2006" and the clicking on "FIND"

"Look at this link. See? The last year, from November till January there was an exhibit of rare Japanese plants. I wanted to go, but I didn't find the time. And look at the note."

"They came from the botanical Garden here in Pasadena. Wait a sec… didn't Madrox's ex wife tell Don her ex took their daughter to a botanical exhibition some days before the kill? I think I'll call her and see if it was this one in particular…"

"I'll speak with family and friends here in L.A. to see if we are wrong or not…"

"I spoke with everybody here, and we are sure as hell that Allen and Knight went at the Huntington. A colleague of her seems to remember she said she wanted to go at the Gardens during a pause between two flights. And guess who went at the Japanese garden almost everyday because was homesickness, since he wasn't Chinese like someone told us, but Japanese?"

"So Shan Chi was Japanese and not Chinese. Yeah, this Larson guy has definitely nothing in common with our Don. I'm not surprise Ivy broke with him after two dates. Speaking of the devil… any news, Ivy?"

"Good News for us. Madrox went effectively at the exhibit, and Donna photographed it for her newspaper. And it seems the other 2 vics went, too."

"So the Japanese Garden is really our connection, I suggest to go and look for people who followed the exhibition. Probably someone who works here and takes care of the plants, followed them around the states. "

"Miss Jack?"

Christine Jack was a girl in her twenties, blonde with blue eyes. She was – including her wardrobe – the classical college girl. It wasn't strange for her that men called her. It was strange that the man who called her for name was with two other women and that they were all police agents.

"How can I help you?" she asked a bit worried.

"I'm detective matt glaser from L.A.P.D. and these are Stella Bonasera and Ivy Carter from N.Y.P.D.. we need some information. Director Thomson said you know everything about who works here and that you cured the realization of the exhibit of Japanese plants of the last year."

"Listen – she said more and more worried – I don't want any trouble. So if you really need and wont some information, please give me a warrant."

"and we don't want to have troubles, so we already come with a warrant." Showing the girl the warrant, Stella remembered what Ivy and Matt told her about the Judge who signed it, Dawson Cain. _He is a bit… we can say strange. He doesn't ask too much to sign a warrant, and he is one of the best in the country, so no one can tell he doesn't know his job. He his a fortune for the Police, don't you think?_

"What do you need, exactly?"

"we need the register of the visitors, both of NY and LA , if you have them. And we need to know who worked in both the places, too."

"you said… just NY and LA?"

"Sorry?"

"The exhibit was in Chicago, Austin, Miami, and Las Vegas, too. You sure you don't need their registers, too?"

"Lets'… let's start with just NY and LA… can you tell us who worked in all the exhibits? "

"I can tell it by myself. It was just me, Cassie Lang, our biologist, and Pete Ross, our professional gardener."

"Just the 3 of you?"

"yaeh. We used local workers each time, and the same logistic company with different drivers."

"Can you tell us where's Mr. Ross in now, please?" Ivy took for a time the word, instead of matt.

"Pete? You are wrong, but no way he has committed a crime. He is strange but he isn't able to hurt anybody…"

"Miss Jack, we asked you where he is, not your opinion."

"Well, he must be in the garden. I don't know where he is exactly, but today he is on duty, and he spends every minute of the day in that garden, it's his life."

"So ladies, it seems it's time to call reinforcements and see if we can catch our man."

After 15 minutes of walking through the exotic plants, the 3 agents saw a man, 50, black, grey hair and beard, working with something that seemed a bamboo. "Mr. Ross?" Matt asked him.

Ross looked in their direction and, understanding what was going to happen, he ran, as desperate as only a man in his position could be.

"Suspect is running away, in direction of exit 2!" While speaking in his radio, Matt was following the suspect, gun in hand.

"Mr. Ross, stop yourself immediately or we will be force to fire you!" he continued But Ross didn't hear him, because he knew too well what was happening. What was going to happen. What would happen.

Instead, when he saw 2 visitors, knowing that the police wouldn't permit to put them in danger, he went in their direction, nearer and nearer, and took one of the two girls as hostage. He didn't want to surround. He would never surround. He took his scissors and started to menace her, who was crying, as well the police.

"You're making things worse, Ross. Please, let the girl and speak with us…we want only make two words with you."

"Things are already worse, mister. I know that, if I surrender now, you'll put me on a bed and then give me the injection."

"But if you speak wit us, you can try to tell us what happened, explain your motivations… we can help you."

"no you can't help me you can't no one can understand me no once can only me…" he said without taking a breath.

Stella and Ivy understood immediately what matt was doing. He was distracting Ross, while a sniper, or maybe more, was finding the right moment and place to fire him.

"Cam' on, man, speak to me, tell me what you want, what happened, or, at least, try…."

Ross' mantra, the ongoing "you can't understand no one can" sentence, didn't last more, because, few instants later, the young girl shouted horrified, as she saw the blood running on her, as she saw Ross' blood on her, after he was shot dead, falling on the soil he loved so much, killed by a single bulled in his head.


	5. epilogue I never met a man like that

_**5.epilogue – I never met a men like that**_

_**At Ross', we found some memoralia, **_Matt was explaining at the telephone at the 2 woman – who were just arrived from LA – and to their boss, Mac Taylor, _**and there Are things from more than 8 persons. It means that we were right… when miss Jack told us about the exibit all around the country, we immediately feared that could be more vics that what we thought. We found things from, at least, 20 persons. We are searching through cold cases or cases with a similar m.o. through all the cities he went to. NY wasn't his first haunt territory, and wasn't the last. **_

"Unfortunately for us, he is dead. Imagine how much he could tell us. I mean, not only about the vics, or their effective number, but about his m.o. and motivations, too."

"We don't find the reason, it's not our work. We just find who the evidences suggest us as guilty." Mac explained at his former recruit.

"Well, it seems we'll never find how the vics took the lexotan, too." Stella said whit a sad, deluded expression.

_**We are investigating. We have his things and his diaries. Time will tell us something, for sure. **_

"if you'll find something more, please inform us as the investigation goes on. Detective Glaser, it has been a pleasure. Bye.

_**It has been a pleasure for me, too, detective Taylor. Stella, Ivy, I hope to see you soon.**_

"The whole lab missed you two, and I'm happy to see that you are so devoted to us to came here immediately after your arrival at the airport, but I think you could be a little tired, so go home and rest until tomorrow. See you when your next shift begins."

"Is anybody here?" Ivy entered in her apartment, with all her bags and the daily shopping.

"Hey! What are you doing here? I thought you were still at the lab!" like she thought, Don was still by her. In the instant he saw her entering, he went in her direction, took her in his arms and kissed her with all the passion he was able to use.

_He never kissed me this way. It was a passionate kiss, but it was sad, too… what's happening? What has he got?_

"Don, what's happening?" she asked him, as the black haired man was still embraced her and was kissing her forehead.

"Don't leave me never again." His voice was so sad and desperate. He never sounded this way to her.

"Oh Don…"

"I'm a stupid, I know it, me too. But I feared that once you would be back to your old life in LA, you would decide to stay here. But… I'm a stupid. I had to know that you are too devoted to your work to do such a thing."

"What? How stupid could you be to believe that I'm here just for my work? – she looked at him, and he was smiling, almost laughing – you were kidding? You were kidding! What a stupid jerk…"

"Yeah, well, to be honest – he said crossing his arms and looking in her eyes – at the beginning, I feared you would stay in LA, but, after I listened to you at the telephone, I understood I was wrong. I understood everything, really. You gave me this idea. Don't know why. But I was sure you would be back here to me. So… Trying to be serious now…" he said stopping to smile, a little worried and embarrassed.

"I… " he continued, but he stopped himself immediately, forcing her – who was becoming every instant more worried – to seat on the sofa, and seating himself on the coffee table that was right before the sofa "Ok, time to be serious. Don't stop me and let me say everything . – he said taking her hand in his – I was really worried about you….by the possibility to loose you, I mean. I don't want to feel this way never again. I… I missed you. And not just you. I messed _us…_."

"Don, I…"

"No, please, it's like I spend my entire life trying to find the courage for this. Idon't know where to start from, so I think I'll go right at the crucial point – he took a small red velvet box from one of his pocket and extracting something from its inside, a white gold ring with a diamond – Ivy Carol Carter, will you made me the honor to became Mrs. Flack? Now you can speak."

"You know, Don, I was going to…"

"to leave me. I was sure it was going to happen. It was happening. But I wanted to try. I'll take my things and coma back to my place." He woke up, putting the ring in his pocket, and he was going to her bedroom, when she stopped him and forced him to come back to seat where he previously was.

"Now it's your turn to let me finish, Don. What I was going to say, is that I felt the same way…. About… us, I mean. I… the fact is, that I thought to you almost all the time I was away. And it's not so strange, considering that… that recently I think to you ….well, almost ever. "

"I didn't… I thought…."

"I want to be honest. There was a time when I considered to leave you. Not because I didn't love you, but because I loved you too much. And I didn't want to loose you. And something stupid, I know, because I can't control such things like love, death and life. My love for you… your love… it's too strong, and I can't belong without you. I surrender."

"Is it your way to say yes?"

"yes. To all. "


	6. footnotes

_**6.footnotes.**_

1) Matt Glaser is a CSI detective in LAPD, as seen in CSI, season 5.

2)Steve Mallory, co-head of LAPD Crime Lab, it's an OC, previously seen in A cadaver in the park, via mail.

3)Anne Kramer. See 1).

4)Sam Gerarde and Noah Newman were both characters in the 1998 motion picture "U.S. Marshals" (and in 1992 – could be? I'm not sure – "the fugitive") .it's one of my favorite movies, and I can't stop crying when I see the scene where Noah dies. I decided Noah at the time was married with Ivy. If you have red the fist fic about Ivy, you'll remember Mac introduced her as "Ivy Newman" instead of "Ivy Carter."

5) Daniel Larson was one the characters of the TV-show "Nasty Boys" (late '80's – early '90's).

6) all the vics ,as well the killer, are called after a DC or Marvel Comics Character. Yes', I'm a comic book reader. Well, nobody's perfect, like Madonna sings…

7)Kat Eddison is an OC created for my NUMB3RS fan fiction "the meaning of hate & love". (you can reed it here, if you want.)Her boyfriend id Don Eppes, the main character of the show. By the way: the made a brief cameo in my E.R. story ,too.

8) _**"your love… it's too strong, and I can't belong without you. I surrender." **_It's a quote from an English song by Italian singer Laura Pausini. Just love for me.


End file.
